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I wanted to update you guys about last weeks show. I made up my mind and picked a training goal and program. I’m one week into it and I feel good and motivated to continue with it. Thanks to calling me out on the show last week. Kevin, I now know how you must have felt getting called out by Alwyn Cosgrove during that seminar about your training inconsistency. I was shocked when you guys called me out like that at the end of the show and at the same time I was instantly motivated to go train and reach my goal. I now know the power of accountability. I did set up a blog, like you suggested, which I will track my progress along the way. Here’s the link if you want to check it out http://commitedtraininig.wordpress.com/

(note: I’m still learning how to set the site up so that’s going to be a work in progress).

The mental side of dieting and training is such an interesting and important part of the fitness industry which is why we need more people like Tom Venuto to address it. The goal setting and belief systems reframing information in Tom’s book alone make it a valuable resource.

Thanks for the support and keep up the good work,

Eddy R, NY

Questions for Tom Venuto

Tom, most people know you as a fat loss expert and a fitness writer but you have a long background in serious bodybuilding. Why dont you start out by telling us about your bodybuilding background and your philosophy about bodybuilding

Do you think has the sport of bodybuilding gotten a bad rap?

I’ve got a question for Tom: what do you say to all the haters who dismiss BB as a dysfunctional sport of pure vanity?

I am a 22 year old female making my way slowly but surely towards the stage as a figure competitor, hopefully for the first time this November. It just seems like a natural progression for me: I love lifting, and I’ve got the support and knowledge of a regional champion bodybuilder who is conveniently friends with John Berardi 🙂

HOWEVER, I have a really hard time explaining to people what I’m training for (“physique competition…a bodybuilding sort of thing,” I usually say), and an even more difficult time explaining why! I have come to compare it to running a marathon (the lofty fitness goal of the day, it seems)…except that I prefer weightlifting to running ridiculous distances.

Sometimes I feel like I’m completely downplaying and disrespecting the sport, however. How do you explain to the general public the what & the why of BB, and why they should respect it?

Best,
Nicole

there have actually been some debates on the forums about whether body building is even a sport at all; whats your response to the people who say its not a ‘real sport’

What is your favorite template for putting on mass? for example body part split routines seem to have fallen out of favor, so what are your thoughts on split routines? versus full body training or simple 2 way splits like push/pull, or upper/lower.

Tom, how do you train – what are your own personal routines like today and why did you choose to train that way?

It seems that steroids are constantly in the news whether its baseball or pro wrestling or the olympics or bodybuilding. What are your feelings about steroid use in sports today

Hey Tom (and TheFitCast)! I finally got BTFFTM and am already loving it. As a former trainer and continuing exercise physiology and nutrition knowledge hound, I was wondering if you could recommend any good resources for me to check out? Books? Journals? Databases (besides PubMed!)? Thanks! -Alison

2 Responses

Thanks to Tom for giving out so many great resources! Pubmed is an excellent resource, but there are times when I find myself wanting a full report, don’t feel like spending hours filtering through questionable findings (lab rats, special populations, poor controls), and still 15+ days out from the next Research Review release. Plus, there is only so much I can hope for Lyle McDonald to put out each month!

In response to Tom, I know Figure is less extreme than BB, but I’ve still encountered “haters” who crinkle their noses at my physique and say I’m too bulky, both friends and strangers. One random girl from the gym actually consulted my trainer to make sure her program wasn’t going to make her look the same way! (good luck with that) It’s OK with me if you want to look like Tracy Anderson, but no need to be a dick about it or put down my goals!

I’ll just focus on taking Tom’s advice and make it to the stage – to hell with the naysayers. Who knows, maybe I will have the physique they’re looking for when some more body fat is gone and they just don’t know it yet. If not, who cares, I’d rather have abs and not crumble under the weight of a door than be a weak waif any day.